Indeed I would not be in love with him, as it is called, for the
world: First, because I have no opinion of his morals; and think it a
fault in which our whole family (my brother excepted) has had a share,
that he was permitted to visit us with a hope, which, however, being
distant, did not, as I have observed heretofore,* entitle any of us to
call him to account for such of his immoralities as came to our ears.
Next, because I think him to be a vain man, capable of triumphing
(secretly at least) over a person whose heart he thinks he has
engaged. And, thirdly, because the assiduities and veneration which
you impute to him, seem to carry an haughtiness in them, as if he
thought his address had a merit in it, that would be more than an
equivalent to a woman's love. In short, his very politeness,
notwithstanding the advantages he must have had from his birth and
education, appear to be constrained; and, with the most remarkable
easy and genteel person, something, at times, seems to be behind in
his manner that is too studiously kept in. Then, good-humoured as he
is thought to be in the main to other people's servants, and this even
to familiarity (although, as you have observed, a familiarity that has
dignity in it not unbecoming to a man of quality) he is apt sometimes
to break out into a passion with his own: An oath or a curse follows,
and such looks from those servants as plainly shew terror, and that
they should have fared worse had they not been in my hearing: with a
confirmation in the master's looks of a surmise too well justified.


* Letter III.


Indeed, my dear, THIS man is not THE man. I have great objections to